The Raticate
by FranziskavonKarmaWhippedYou
Summary: After years of battling depression, Gary Oak returns to Lavender Town to mourn his dead Raticate. During so, he discovers something that he didn't know and didn't WANT to know, despite everything.


**This story is jumbled up . Gary is basically Blue. This story follows the theory that Blue/Gary's Raticate died and also the theory that Red died, as well as the theory that Red and Ash are brothers. Confusing much? Anyway, if you don't like those theories, don't read. I guess this can also be called Alternate Universe.**

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><p>Gary Oak had not visited Lavender Town for years. After being completely destroyed by Red, he had lost to the woes of depression for threee years until he tried to commit suicide and very nearly succeeded. The only thing that brought him out of his depression was waking up with a small baby Rattata lying on his hospital bed. It had snuck in during the night, shivering and abandoned, trying to find some love. Gary had gently scooped it up in his arms and kept the young creature.<p>

Even after he was dismissed from hospital he still held onto his little Rattata. Often he would just hold it tight and cry into the Rattata's soft fur, trying to forget everything that happened to him. His sister Daisy returned from her oversea visits and helped him on the road to recovery, but she felt bad for her brother. He was always so quiet, spending most of the day with his Rattata. A year passed by, and Daisy began to wonder if keeping Gary in the dark was doing anything. The local clinic newly built in Pallet prescribed Gary anti-depressants.

One day he up and disappeared. He was going back through Kanto with his Rattata. It was no longer a baby but it had scarcely grown and Gary could still hold it like a baby, and because his little friend liked that, that was how he held Rattata. He wasn't entirely cured of his depression, but he decided going to Lavender Town would help. He bought some of his Raticate's favourite flowers and he let down his Rattata to explore the cemetery while he gently dropped the flowers at the front of his Raticate's grave.

All that could be heard in the cemetery was the distressed wail of Gary Oak. It attracted quite a crowd, who all merely watched as he cried until there were no more tears left to shed. His Raticate was dead. Red had killed it, then Red had won the whole League and beaten him. Red had killed his Raticate, then gone on to achieve the highest award in the world. Gary held out his hand and ran his fingers down the gravestone. The crowd began whispering about him and Gary stood up.

"You don't know what it's like," he said to the crowd. "I lost my parents in the war. All that was left of them was my father's Pok mon egg, so I took it. I took care of it, then my grandfather sent me off on my journey. All I had was this egg. Then there was Red, who took over my sister's heart, beat me and then walked off without a word. My egg hatched a Rattata. I trained it and soon it became my Raticate. Then I challenged Red on the S.S. Anne. He killed my Raticate. He killed my Raticate and won the League. I had nothing left. No parents. My grandfather didn't love my, my sister was infatuated by Red."

Gary turned to the crowd. "And you all cheer for him in his tournaments. Meanwhile, I'm trying to kill myself. Red."

"Gary?" a girl brushed through the crowd. Gary didn't recognise her, but she was beautiful. "Red told me to come here, today, a while ago. Gary, Red is dead."

"What?" Gary stared at her for several seconds. He scooped up his Rattata and walked past the crowd, head down. Red was dead? Impossible. The girl followed him and stood in front of him, obscuring Gary's path.

"Gary, wait. I know somewhere that might help," the girl said. "Oh, and, in case you forgot me, my name's Leaf." Then Gary remembered. An old childhood friend who had plain up disappeared a long, long time ago. She took him on a journey through Kanto until they reached the border to Johto, where they climbed Mt Silver. Neither of them uttered a word. When they made it to the summit, Gary could not speak for sheer shock. Standing atop the mountain, facing into the howling blizzard, was Red.

He did not turn around as Gary approached. Gary noticed that Red was standing at the edge of the cliff, half his feet hanging off. He was seconds away from dropping into oblivion. But it did not matter. Red was dead.

Leaf did not interrupt. She shuffled into a corner and leaned against the mountain, watching in silence. Gary and Red just stood there, not facing each other. The wind howled and screeched past the two of them.

Red stepped off the mountain, but he did not fall. He was suspended in the air high above the mountain. A Blastoise appeared by his side. Red took another step upwards, as if he was climbing a set of invisible stairs. A Charizard appeared in the air next to him. The Blastoise followed him obediently up the stairs. As he took another slow step, he was joined by a Venusaur with the most beautiful flower Gary had ever seen. Another step brought a Snorlax that could barely get up the next step to the Lapras. The next step brought a Pikachu that Red held in his arms. The other Pokémon took another step and faded away.

Red turned around and set the Pikachu down. It hopped down the stairs and back onto the mountain. As Red turned around and ascended, disappearing into the sky. Gary watched silently and as he looked down to the Pikachu, a quiet voice in his ear whispered, "Ash".

Gary knew what to do. He turned around and walked down the mountain, Rattata in his arms, Pikachu by his side and Leaf walking behind him, wondering what was going through his mind.

Gary walked all the way back to Pallet Town, which took several days. He spoke when he needed to, but mainly kept quiet until he made it to Pallet Town. Gary left Leaf at the gate to the town and he walked to the laboratory. Nobody was inside. Gary set the Pikachu on the table and left in silence. It wouldn't be long before Red's younger brother turned 10, and for that, Gary had to be there again.

So he decided he would stay with Leaf for the time being, and battle his depression before it took over again.

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><p><strong>Haha... Okay, R&amp;R but don't plain out flame me. <strong>


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